I Don't Wanna Be Me
by Shadow's Personal Assistant
Summary: Zoe Aves is suffering an identity crisis. And her mother is NOT happy with the result. Hints of MannyxZoe.


Miracle City was experiencing one of those rare nights. One of those nights where it was absolutely silent. No criminal stirred in the moonlight, causing trouble for the town's heroes. No sounds were being made among the blanketing darkness. For once, the denizens of the spicy cesspool could sleep soundly and peacefully.

All except for one.

Zoe Aves sat on the volcano, thinking to herself. She watched as the city she loved to terrorize performed its dance of slumber. She usually came here to think about whatever was on her mind, be it something that had happened at school, or the further under appreciation that her mother and Grandmami constantly dispensed unto her. Or to think about Manny…

But tonight's deep thought session was different. Indeed, there were many things that had warranted her attention, but tonight, it was a most serious matter. Zoe played with her wristband (her equivalent of Manny's belt buckle) as she stared into the abyss of the night. The moon reflected of her pinkish-red eyes with a solemnly glow. The subject the plagued her night this mind was a question of identity.

_Do I really want to be Black Cuervo?_

Zoe stuck her hand under her shirt to pull out the bolt necklace she had received from a certain Rivera boy many months ago that same spot on the volcano. She had been thinking about this for a while now. Yes, it was written in her bloodlines that she be a super-villainess. But after being one for most of her life, she really didn't know what else to do in terms of pleasing her mother, Carmelita Aves a.k.a. Voltura. She thought that becoming Black Cuervo maybe she would be appreciated more.

"But NOOOOOO, it's always 'Cuervo do this' and 'Cuervo do that.' No, thank yous, no congratulations, or anything!" screeched Zoe. She screamed and growled in frustration, unable to decide what to do at this most difficult time. The young goth was struggling with her own identity, the last thing she ever thought she'd have any issues with. But after years of fighting, especially with the notorious El Tigre, she wasn't sure this was what she wanted. "Dammit, mother! Why'd you have to do this to me?" Zoe screamed into the heavens, quite aware of the fact that there was no one to answer. The youngest Aves knew there would be little or no way out of this. She needed a sign. A real sign. Something that could just give her the push in the right direction. "Oh god, this isn't gonna be easy." She sighed. She then slid down from her place on the city landmark and made her way to her home.

If she could even call it that.

…

"Where have you been?" cried Carmelita, hands on her hips and eyes seething with anger.

"Out." was the blunt reply that poured from her daughter, passing by her not caring at what possible punishment her mother may or may not be planning to dish out. "Besides, when did you care when I go out on my own."

"Since I found out you had been hanging out with a Rivera." Carmelita responded fiercely.

Zoe stopped in her tracks, eyes widened. Carmelita smirked. "You know the rules: no messing with the Riveras. They've caused our family more trouble than anyone or anything else the Flock of Fury has ever encountered."

"But I haven't talked to Manny-"

"AH HA!" screamed Carmelita. "He has a name!"

"Ay! It's El Tigre she's been running around with, the little scoundrel!" perked up Grandmami Aves, a.k.a. Lady Gobbler.

Zoe began to feel her sanity fade quickly, fearing she would break down. _How dare you talk about him like that! _she thought. _He's more than you'll ever be!_

"Well? Have you been running around with little Manny Rivera?" asked Carmelita, a cruel smile on her face.

Zoe sensed her eyes becoming watery. She wanted to crawl into a hole and die as quickly as possible. "No!" she yelled defensively, her voice quivering with frustration to keep her stature. "That was months ago!"

"What

"What, did he dump you? Break your weak little heart?" asked Carmelita, towering over her daughter with a threatening sense of authority. Grandmami laughed, spewing obscenities regarding Manny Rivera. Zoe watched with watery eyes, stuttering and stammering, trying to defend herself, but her mother kept spitting out insults to her daughter, saying how foolish and stupid she was.

And with that, Zoe snapped.

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!" screamed the tormented Aves girl.

Carmelita took a step back, surprised by the very sudden and very powerful burst of rage. Grandmami went dead silent and simply glared at her seething granddaughter.

"Why can't you accept it? Why? WHY? Yes, I've been hanging around Manny. Yes, he broke my heart, but that's ok, because I forgave him! But that's not why I was out!" When she had finished, Zoe was breathing heavily and maniacally. Like she had just finished a murder or two and was experiencing – no, suffering from- a massive surge of adrenaline.

Carmelita stared at her daughter. She was completely unaware of the fact that Zoe was capable of such emotion.

"Then… why were you out tonight?" asked Grandmami meekly.

Zoe took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and regained control. Then, she opened them and pointed their darkened gaze towards them.

"Tonight, I was out thinking." She replied simply.

Not quite understanding, Zoe's mother asked "About what?"

Zoe glared at her elders and simply said a combination of words that Carmelita and Grandmami had never expected to hear from the young goth:

"I don't wanna be Black Cuervo anymore."

Carmelita stumbled backwards and plopped herself down on a chair, her skin pale and clammy. Grandmami looked on in disbelief as if her once-vulnerable granddaughter had just sentenced her to death.

"Why not? Do you have no honor for your own family?" asked Carmelita, still reeling from the intense shock.

"Not after being treated like this!" Zoe shouted rather defensively. "No matter how hard I try, you two always push me to the side like I don't even matter. You ignore every goddamn day. I always try to prove myself, but it never works. I struggle to show you that I am a perfectly capable supervillaness. But no! I'm still treated like shit! And you know what, fuck what you think of the Riveras!"

"The Riveras are a bunch of horny bastards!" shrieked Carmelita.

"Not Manny! I swear he isn't! He's more than any other human being to exist!"

"But he broke your heart! Why do you even still think of him!?"

"BECAUSE I LOVE HIM!"

The room went silent. Carmelita just fucking glared at her, as well as Grandmami.

She then took another deep breath, and finally said "I'm resigning as Black Cuervo. And there's not a goddamn thing you can do about it!"

All of a goddamn sudden, Carmelita stood up blindingly fast. "How dare you talk like that! You are a disgrace to this family!" she screeched.

"So what? What do you care if I'm a disgrace?!" screamed Zoe in defiance.

"That's it! I'm finishing this! You, Zoe Aves, are hereby banished from this house!" responded Carmelita, "And you are no longer my daughter."

Zoe felt a sharp pain blast through her heart, but it was short-lived, knowing that this was her mother's finishing move.

"So be it." she snarled.

And she bolted out the door, not even looking back. Carmelita watched with folded arms and angered eyes. Grandmami had stayed silent throughout the entire ordeal.

Carmelita slowly closed the door once her ex-daughter had vanished into the horizon.

A Note From The Author

Yay! Another El Tigre fanfic! I wanted this one to just be brutish, nasty and short. It was inspired by the song 'I Don't Wanna Be Me' by my favorite band in history, TYPE O NEGATIVE! (R.I.P. Peter Steele ='/ ) And I am aware that my last story was more MannyxFrida, this one, however, is more one-sided MannyxZoe. Personally, I think either pairing would work out. Anywho, you folks know the drill:

I don't own El Tigre, and I don't regret loving it.

PLEASE REVIEW!

-Shadow's Personal Assistant


End file.
